The present invention relates to golf balls and, more particularly, to improved golf balls comprising multi-layer covers which have a hard inner layer and a relatively soft outer layer. The improved golf balls utilize one or more silicone layers and/or a silicone core. The improved multi-layer golf balls provide for enhanced distance and durability properties while at the same time offering the xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d and spin characteristics associated with soft balata and balata-like covers of the prior art.
Traditional golf ball covers have been comprised of balata or blends of balata with elastomeric or plastic materials. The traditional balata covers are relatively soft and flexible. Upon impact, the soft balata covers compress against the surface of the club producing high spin. Consequently, the soft and flexible balata covers provide an experienced golfer with the ability to apply a spin to control the ball in flight in order to produce a draw or a fade, or a backspin which causes the ball to xe2x80x9cbitexe2x80x9d or stop abruptly on contact with the green. Moreover, the soft balata covers produce a soft xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d to the low handicap player. Such playability properties (workability, feel, etc.) are particularly important in short iron play with low swing speeds and are exploited significantly by relatively skilled players.
Despite all the benefits of balata, balata covered golf balls are easily cut and/or damaged if mis-hit. Golf balls produced with balata or balata-containing cover compositions therefore have a relatively short lifespan.
As a result of this negative property, balata and its synthetic substitutes, trans-polybutadiene and transpolyisoprene, have been essentially replaced as the cover materials of choice by new cover materials comprising ionomeric resins.
Ionomeric resins are polymers containing interchain ionic bonding. As a result of their toughness, durability and flight characteristics, various ionomeric resins sold by E. I. DuPont de Nemours and Company under the trademark xe2x80x9cSurlyn(copyright)xe2x80x9d and more recently, by the Exxon Corporation.(see U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,451) under the trademarks xe2x80x9cEscor(copyright)xe2x80x9d and the trade name xe2x80x9clotekxe2x80x9d, have become the materials of choice for the construction of golf ball covers over the traditional xe2x80x9cbalataxe2x80x9d (transpolyisoprene, natural or synthetic) rubbers. As stated, the softer balata covers, although exhibiting enhanced playability properties, lack the durability (cut and abrasion resistance, fatigue endurance, etc.) properties required for repetitive play.
Ionomeric resins are generally ionic copolymers of an olefin, such as ethylene, and a metal salt of an unsaturated carboxylic acid, such as acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, or maleic acid. Metal ions, such as sodium or zinc, are used to neutralize some portion of the acidic group in the copolymer resulting in a thermoplastic elastomer exhibiting enhanced properties, i.e. durability, etc., for golf ball cover construction over balata. However, some of the advantages gained in increased durability have been offset to some degree by the decreases produced in playability. This is because although the ionomeric resins are very durable, they tend to be very hard when utilized for golf ball cover construction, and thus lack the degree of softness required to impart the spin necessary to control the ball in flight. Since the ionomeric resins are harder than balata, the ionomeric resin covers do not compress as much against the face of the club upon impact, thereby producing less spin. In addition, the harder and more durable ionomeric resins lack the xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d characteristic associated with the softer balata related covers.
As a result, while there are currently more than fifty (50) commercial grades of ionomers available both from DuPont and Exxon, with a wide range of properties which vary according to the type and amount of metal cations, molecular weight, composition of the base resin (i.e., relative content of ethylene and methacrylic and/or acrylic acid groups) and additive ingredients such as reinforcement agents, etc., a great deal of research continues in order to develop a golf ball cover composition exhibiting not only the improved impact resistance and carrying distance properties produced by the xe2x80x9chardxe2x80x9d ionomeric resins, but also the playability (i.e., xe2x80x9cspinxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d, etc.) characteristics previously associated with the xe2x80x9csoftxe2x80x9d balata covers, properties which are still desired by the more skilled golfer.
Consequently, a number of two-piece (a solid resilient center or core with a molded cover) and three-piece (a liquid or solid center, elastomeric winding about the center, and a molded cover) golf balls have been produced by the present inventor and others to address these needs. The different types of materials utilized to formulate the cores, covers, etc. of these balls dramatically alters the balls""overall characteristics. In addition, multi-layered covers containing one or more ionomer resins have also been formulated in an attempt to produce a golf ball having the overall distance, playability and durability characteristics desired.
This was addressed by Spalding and Evenflo Companies, Inc., the assignee of the present invention, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,193 where a multi-layered golf ball is disclosed. In the ""193 patent, a multi-layer golf ball is produced by initially molding a first cover layer on a spherical core and then adding a second layer. The first layer is comprised of a hard, high flexural modulus resinous material such as type 1605 Surlyn(copyright) (now designated Surlyn(copyright) 8940). Type 1605 Surlyn(copyright) (Surlyn(copyright) 8940) is a sodium ion based low acid (less than or equal to 15 weight percent methacrylic acid) ionomer resin having a flexural modulus of about 51,000 psi. An outer layer of a comparatively soft, low flexural modulus resinous material such as type 1855 Surlyn(copyright)) (now designated Surlyn(copyright) 9020) is molded over the inner cover layer. Type 1855 Surlyn(copyright) (Surlyn(copyright) 9020) is a zinc ion based low acid (10 weight percent methacrylic acid) ionomer resin having a flexural modulus of about 14,000 psi.
The ""193 patent teaches that the hard, high flexural modulus resin which comprises the first layer provides for a gain in coefficient of restitution over the coefficient of restitution of the core. The increase in the coefficient of restitution provides a ball which serves to attain or approach the maximum initial velocity limit of 255 feet per second as provided by the United States Golf Association (U.S.G.A.) rules. The relatively soft, low flexural modulus outer layer provides essentially no gain in the coefficient of restitution but provides for the advantageous xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d and playing characteristics of a balata covered golf ball. Unfortunately, however, while a ball of the ""193 patent does exhibit enhanced playability characteristics with improved distance (i.e. enhanced C.O.R. values) over a number of other known multi-layered balls, the ball suffers from poor cut resistance and relatively short distance (i.e. lower C.O.R. values) when compared to two-piece, single cover layer balls. These undesirable properties make the ball produced in accordance with the ""193 patent unacceptable by today""s standards.
The present invention is directed to new multi-layer golf ball compositions which provide for enhanced coefficient of restitution (i.e, enhanced resilience or carrying distance) and/or durability properties when compared to the multi-layer balls found in the prior art, as well as improved outer cover layer softness and durability. As such, the playability characteristics (i.e., xe2x80x9cfeel,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cclick,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cspin,xe2x80x9d etc.) are not diminished.
These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following summary and description of the invention, the drawings and from the claims.
The present invention provides, in one aspect, a golf ball comprising a core comprising a silicone material, an inner cover layer comprising a high acid ionomer including at least 16% by weight of an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid molded on the core, and an outer cover layer, molded on the inner cover layer, comprising a relatively soft polymeric material selected from the group consisting of low flexural modulus ionomer resins and non-ionomeric thermoplastic elastomers. The silicone material, exhibits, upon curing, a Shore OO hardness of from about 55 to about 100.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a multi-layer golf ball comprising a spherical core, an inner cover layer molded over the spherical core to form a spherical intermediate ball, and an outer cover layer molded over the spherical intermediate ball to form a multi-layer golf ball. The core includes a silicone material selected from the group consisting of silicone polymers, silicone fluids, silicone resins and combinations thereof. The silicone material exhibits, upon curing, a Shore OO hardness of from about 55 to about 100. The inner cover layer is formed from an ionomeric resin including at least 16% by weight of an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid and has a modulus of from about 15,000 to about 70,000 psi. The outer cover layer includes a blend of i) a sodium or zinc salt of a copolymer having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms and an unsaturated monocarboxlic acid having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms, and ii) a sodium or zinc salt of a terpolymer of an olefin having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, acrylic acid and an unsaturated monomer of the acrylate ester class having from 1 to 21 carbon atoms. The outer cover layer has a modulus in a range of about 1,000 to about 30,000 psi.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a multi-layer golf ball comprising a spherical core, an inner cover layer molded over the spherical core to form a spherical intermediate ball, and an outer cover layer molded over the spherical intermediate ball to form a multi-layer golf ball. The spherical core includes a silicone material having, upon curing, a Shore OO hardness of from about 55 to about 100. The inner cover layer is formed from an ionomeric resin including about 17% to about 25% by weight of an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid. The inner cover layer has a modulus of from about 15,000 to about 70,000 psi. The outer cover layer includes a non-ionomeric thermoplastic selected from the group consisting of polyester elastomer, polyester polyurethane and polyester amide. The outer cover layer has a modulus of about 1,000 to about 30,000.
These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.